Inflammation in the Body? These 10 Foods Help
Inflammation in the body can show up in many different ways. Here you'll find out which symptoms, causes and risk factors are relevant when it comes to diet – and which foods help against inflammation naturally.
Inflammation in the body: causes, symptoms and risk factors
The human body deals with inflammation around the clock. It starts with the smallest things: insect bites, pimples, small cuts or mild sunburn are all inflammations your body tackles every day. Within a normal range, inflammation is nothing bad – it's simply your body's response to damage from outside. But when inflammation becomes chronic, your body is locked in an exhausting struggle that makes itself felt in everyday life. Inflammation can affect almost any region of the body and shows up through a wide range of signs: fatigue, swelling (including in the form of stubborn water retention in the tissue), redness, difficulty losing weight, stiffness, aching joints and more.
Allergies too – for example to pollen or animal hair – keep the body in a drawn-out struggle and can be the cause of persistent inflammation. Alongside a medical check-up, there's a lot you can do to make it easier for your body to cope with inflammation: drinking enough water, getting enough sleep, maintaining a healthy body weight, avoiding stress and inflammation-promoting substances such as cigarettes and alcohol. And, of course, the right diet.
Anti-inflammatory foods: 10 natural home remedies
Our daily diet has a big influence on how well our body can prevent and counter inflammation. Unfortunately, plenty of foods promote inflammation: excessive consumption of animal products, allergens or heavily processed foods, for example. The good news is that there's a whole range of healthy foods regarded as natural anti-inflammatories that are easy to work into your day.
1. Lemon & co.: vitamin C against inflammation
It's no coincidence that the lemon is an old home remedy that makes its comeback at the faintest hint of a cold. Lemons contain large amounts of vitamin C, which protects the cells and supports the immune system. Better than hot lemon water is enjoying fresh fruit, because vitamin C isn't heat-stable and loses much of its potency when brewed. And although the lemon is probably the best-known source of the vitamin, the acerola cherry contains considerably more of it.
2. Garlic: valuable compounds from the bulb
How lucky we are that this aromatic bulb found its way into our kitchens! Garlic doesn't just give every dish an aromatic note – the bulb also contains sulphur compounds. The allicin and quercetin it contains aren't only responsible for the typical taste but are traditionally valued for their anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Garlic unfolds its full power above all in raw form – handy that it works so well in pesto and tzatziki.
3. Onion: a potent home remedy
Just like the lemon, the onion has always had a place in grandma's medicine cabinet. Alongside vitamins C, B6 and B7, onions contain plenty of antioxidants, potassium, valuable sulphur compounds and alliin. Eating onions raw has a clear advantage: as with the lemon, a lot of valuable compounds are lost when heated. Raw onion is especially good in salads. Just take care if you have a sensitive stomach.
4. Ginger: the spicy wonder root
That ginger is especially healthy should be no secret by now. The root has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine and in Ayurveda and is regarded as a remedy that warms from within. Responsible for this are its essential oils and the pungent compound gingerol. These days ginger turns up in almost every smoothie, tea or healthy Asian dish.
5. Turmeric: the golden wonder root
Not only ginger – turmeric too is a true all-rounder of Asian cuisine. Turmeric, also known as the yellow root, has been used in many ways for ages. Studies suggest that the curcumin it contains binds enzymes involved in inflammatory processes in the body. The root's essential oils play their part as well.
Tip: turmeric is absorbed best by the body when eaten together with oil (coconut oil, for example) and pepper. That's also why curry and the drink known as golden milk are so popular in Ayurvedic cooking.
6. Spinach: green power
Spinach should be on the menu regularly – not only for its high content of iron, vitamin C and calcium, but also because of its deep green colour: it owes that to its especially high level of chlorophyll, a valuable phytonutrient that supports the liver in clearing away metabolic by-products.
7. Berries: full of antioxidants
Not just delicious but especially healthy: berries are packed with antioxidants that protect our cells from free radicals and thus from premature ageing. Whether blackberry, raspberry or currant, berries are brimming with vitamin C as well as anthocyanins, the phytonutrient that gives them their colour.
8. Pineapple: tropical fruit with bromelain
Another fruit with favourable properties. Alongside vitamin C, potassium and zinc, this tropical fruit contains bromelain – a compound often found in anti-inflammatory medicines. But if you're hoping to fight inflammation with a Hawaiian pizza, we have to disappoint you: only fresh pineapple contains bromelain; it breaks down during canning.
9. Probiotic foods: for a healthy gut
Anyone who cares about their health should do something for their gut regularly – because a large part of our immune system sits here, steered by a vast number of gut bacteria. Give your gut a regular helping hand with probiotic foods such as yoghurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut or kombucha.
10. Omega-3-rich foods
Omega 3 is essential for various processes in the body. Our body can't produce these fatty acids itself and relies on us taking them in through food. Oily fish such as salmon and mackerel in particular contain the valuable acids EPA and DHA. If you'd rather not eat fish, there are plant sources too: walnuts and flaxseed oil contain alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a precursor the body can convert into EPA and DHA. More on this in our guide all about omega 3 and its role in the body.
Turmeric & Boswellia Capsules
The Ayurvedic duo of turmeric and frankincense – conveniently dosed in capsule form when you want to bring these two classics into your everyday life.
€17.50 per tub€59.70 €52.50
you save €7.20
€16.30 per tub€99.50 €81.50
you save €18.00
Prices incl. VAT. Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.
Frequently asked questions
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More on healthy eating in the Surpresa Natural blog
Choosing healthy food and enjoying it mindfully does your body and mind a favour every day. For more tips, take a look at our Surpresa Natural blog. There you'll find out, for example, how omega 3 works in the body and why collagen matters so much for skin and joints.